A business or enterprise application is a computer program used by business users to perform various business functions. Business applications are frequently developed when available off-the-shelf software does not completely address the desired functionality. Many business applications are interactive, having a graphical user interface (GUI) via which users can input data, submit data queries, perform operations, and view results. Consumer applications are less business focused, instead being focused on the needs of the consumer.
Business and consumer users tend to depend on information technology (IT) personnel to code their applications due to application complexity, and the programming expertise required. For example, merely designing an application to retrieve data from a remote source (e.g., a cloud service) is difficult, typically requiring the involvement of an experienced software developer.